1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to buoyancy devices and more particularly to devices for keeping submersible structures properly oriented during their descent into the water depths.
2. Prior Art
The placement and proper orientation of small structures to be submerged under water, is very difficult. For example, a structure such as a lobster trap, which is typically dropped from a moving lobster boat, connected to one or more other lobster traps by a tether or line, sink to the bottom relatively swiftly. These lobster traps which are made either of wood or steel wire, typically have some sort of weight to give the lobster traps directionality in their descent, and to help stabilize them on the floor or bed of the body of water in which they reside.
Nonetheless, as many as 30% of any group of lobster traps being distributed on the seabed, may settle in an undesired position such as an upside-down orientation. This may prevent the entry of any lobster or crab into the trap because the entry port may be blocked or occluded.
One attempt in the field to rectify this situation, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,761,365 to Reed wherein a fish net hoist is shown with a plurality of chambers attached thereto. Several of the chambers are sealed and the lower chambers are arranged so that the air may displaced by water to help the net sink, and the water may be displaced by compressed air to help the fish net float.
A further U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,472 to Richard discloses a delayed release device which comprises a buoy or balloon which is tethered to a lobster trap; the buoy having an expendable linkage which corrodes to permit the buoy to rise to the surface and disclose the location of the lobster trap. The buoy in this device, probably inadvertently maintains the correct orientation of the lobster trap when it is on the sea floor.
In reality, no prior art device has been shown which is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, and automatic in its operation, and which also permits the strong likelihood of proper structure/trap orientation on the sea bed floor.
It is therefore an object of the present invention, to provide a buoyancy device which will permit submersible marine structures to be properly oriented as they descend in a marine environment.
It is an object of the present invention, to provide a buoyancy device, which will overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
It is a further object of the present invention, to provide a buoyancy device, which is simple to operate, inexpensive to manufacture, and is self-functioning, minimizing labor needs.
It is yet a further object of the present invention, to proved a buoyancy device for keeping marine structures such as lobster/crab traps in an upright orientation as they settle to the sea floor, while permitting those traps to be piled one on top of another during delivery to the desired site, for ease of distribution off of a lobster boat.